Celebrations in Rafale pilot’s native village
LUCKNOW: Residents of Barauni locality in Hardoi district celebrated as the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets from France landed at the airforce base in Ambala on Wednesday.
Barauni is the ancestral town of fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhishek Tripathi who was among the air crew, headed by Group Captain Harkirat Singh, a decorated fighter pilot and commanding officer of the No. 17 Squadron, to fly the French fighter jets to India.
Celebrations at the Wing Commander Abhishek’s village began soon after the pictures of the air crew entering Indian airspace went viral.
“Wing commander Abhishek was among the few chosen ones assigned the task to fly the Rafale to India. Indeed it’s a matter of pride and a moment to celebrate for our district. We are proud of him,” said Anurag Tripathi, Abhishek’s cousin who distributed sweets.
‘Abhishek was born and brought up in Jaipur but he was always in touch with his friends and relatives at his ancestral town. We always used to catch up at the family functions and gettogethers. It is no less than a Diwali for us,” he said.
Abhishek’s father Anil Tripathi, who is a government employee, had shifted to Jaipur almost three decades back.
People remained glued to the TV sets to catch the glimpse of the fighter jets and started celebrating by bursting fire crackers as the fighter jets landed safely in India. “Sandila’s giant laddu (a type of sweet) now won’t be the only famous thing that belongs to Sandila. Abhishek too has made our small town famous,” said Saroj Tripathi, Abhishek’s uncle.
District Magistrate, Hardoi Pulkit Khare confirmed Tripathi’s participation in the air crew that had flown the much-awaited fighter jets to India.
“It is a matter of pride for the district and inspiration for youth of Hardoi that Wing Commander Abhishek was a part of this significant moment in history of Indian defence. I hope it motivates more youth of our district to serve nation and display their patriotism through their deeds,” Khare said.
Meanwhile, Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesperson Wing Commander Indranil Nandi confirms the operation. However, he refused to reveal the identity of the pilots. Some IAF personnel also said that the formal induction ceremony would be planned later and that would be fully accessible to the media.